quote:

Originally posted by armored:
My wife and I are thinking of heading down to Mexico to have this done.

I wouldn't, lots of cases of people catching Hepatitus C and stuff from dental services down there.

 
They use the tiniest ratchet I've ever seen to screw in the abutment.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
 
They use the tiniest ratchet I've ever seen to screw in the abutment.

Actually, it's a torque wrench (really!)...

I have had two:
Expensive, but painless and with no problems.
After they are finished, they are actually better than real teeth (IMO) !

quote:

Originally posted by Crom:
I have had two:
Expensive, but painless and with no problems.
After they are finished, they are actually better than real teeth (IMO) !

Mostly true - once fully integrated, the implant body itself is essentially permanent. It doesn't abccess, it doesn't (normally) fracture, it's not sensitive to hot or cold. If the crown (abutment) fractures, you unscrew it and replace it. You can lose bone around an implant with an eventual failure in some circumstances, but generally even loss of some bone in otherwise healthy tissue will still support the implant.

I never thought of my natural teeth as "not solid" in any way. But after receiving the implants, it became obvious that real teeth have quite a bit of flexibility, by comparison. The implants are absolutely rock solid.

Thanks to everyone that replied to my question, all replies were informative and helpful. For those planning to get an implant there's no need for any anxiety regarding the procedure. The procedure is no more painful than getting a filling and no where near as stressful as getting an extraction. They numb you up pretty good so you don't feel anything, you can hear the drill and feel a bit of pressure but no pain or discomfort. My procedure took less than an hour and a portion of that time was just getting me prepped for the implant. My dentist gave me a few prescriptions for pain/swelling plus antibiotics and a antiseptic mouthwash. To bad implants aren't a little cheaper but nothing medical is cheap. Thanks again I appreciated everyone's responses.

Womdering how your recovery is going. I just had another cracked tooth (my 5th!) extracted this morning. I'll be getting another implant. The worse part is over, except for the bill.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kkina,

Had several done. No issues at all.

Root canal on a molar is worse. Only thing painful about the implant is the cost..